Bloomfield FCA students to help children in hospitals
While most students are still in bed dreading another week of school this coming Monday morning, some Bloomfield High School students will be headed to Indianapolis.
That's the site of this year's Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and New York Giants, but the students won't be there to take part in football activities.
The group of 22 students, members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, will be headed for Bankers Life Fieldhouse (formerly Conseco Fieldhouse) to put together baskets for children in hospitals around the country.
The program is called Super Baskets of Hope.
"There will be about 900 volunteers there working two shifts," Bloomfield FCA advisor Nancy Hudson said Wednesday morning. "One shift will work in the morning, and the second in the afternoon."
The Bloomfield group will leave at 5:15 a.m. on Monday to arrive in time for the 7 a.m. registration.
"We will work from 8 to noon, eat lunch and then head home," Hudson said.
The baskets will contain items children can play with while in the hospital.
"They're activity baskets," Hudson said.
"The goal is to make 7,000 baskets to go to each of the 32 NFL cities (that have teams). UPS is going to deliver them for free."
Some of the items in the baskets will be books, hats, card games, basketballs from the Indiana Pacers, water bottles, markers, construction paper, notebooks, footballs donated by Notre Dame, and coloring books.
"Some NFL players and management from every team will be there to work along side the kids," Hudson said.
Children from Indianapolis hospitals will be there to support the volunteers.
"One of the things they (the students) will learn is how blessed we are and it's good to help others," Hudson explained.
"We'll be working along side some children from Riley (Hospital for Children)."
Helping Hudson with the FCA program is Mike Toon, varsity boys basketball coach Matt Britton, and Rick Hudson, Nancy's husband.
This is the second year for FCA at Bloomfield, and they have about 50 students from the junior high and high school.
"Our coaches have been more than easy to work with and encouraging kids and wanting them to volunteer," Hudson said.
The group meets every Tuesday at 7:15 a.m. at the school. The junior high students meet one week and the high school students follow the next week.
"We have lessons, Bible study, fellowship and prayer time," Hudson said. "And some students have presented lessons."
Hudson and the other advisors believe they're making a difference.
"It's very encouraging when one of our students will say, 'I really don't have a Bible' and we've had volunteers buy Bibles for students. Anybody who wants a Bible can have one," Hudson said.
"For some kids it has really opened their eyes because they haven't been exposed to (the Bible)."
Hudson said the school has supported the FCA, which is in its second year.
"We're very thankful for the school allowing us to meet here and support our activities," Hudson said.
"Mr. (David) Dean (the junior high and high school principal) has been very supportive and helpful in getting students involved."
You can go to the website http://superbasketsofhope.org/ to learn more about Super Baskets of Hope and the hospitals where the baskets will be delivered.
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